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Friday, December 9 2016 8:26 AM

Cosmetic Restoration In Progress

This picture describes the history of the region. A Church in the foregound and a culm dump in the background. This simple image conveys volumes of History in the Northeast PA Hard Coal Region. See More

History is all around us. Historical Markers. Cornerstones, Keystones, Plaques and other architectural features document history. They are on the sides of roads, on the foundations of schools and churches. Many older buildings had a name and date on the keystone at the very top.

It is easy to miss these things as you go about your business in your daily life. Once you become aware of these traces of history you will develop a keen eye and a keen eye for history, of all kinds.

On rummaging thru the caps, most of the companies have been long out of business - Ma's, Penn State Beverage, Star, and more. So much history in that little box.

PRR Shark B Unit that was formerly at the Sullivan Trail Breaker. This is such a favorite subject it has been moved to the top of the home page. Both the Sullivan Trail Breaker and the B Unit Shark is gone. MORE

Remains of Bethlehem Steel. During a recent visit to the casino, may remains of the Steel Mill are still left. I think it would be hard for anyone who worked at the Plant to imagine that a Casino and High End Shopping would be on that site. Bethlehem Steel / Sands Casino

Remains of Roller Coaster at Hanson's Well there is nothing left of the park at Hansons. This picture shows part of the old Roller Coaster. MORE

Old High Tension Poles On Diamond Avenue in Hazleton, there are these two High Tension Poles. These are the only two of its kind in the general area. It looked like they were repurposed to run low voltage cable on. Old High Tension Poles, Diamond Ave, Hazleton, PA

Remains of Loree Colliery Found some more 35mm scans of the outbuldings of the former Loree Colliery off Nesbitt Street in Larksville, PA. All of the buildings by the road are now gone. Loree Colliery Outbuildings

Gas Company Building This was PG&W's building in West Pittston. It has a unique design. It looks like it was a pumping station for probably gas and water, and there is an office portion. They also kept their trucks here. Gas Company Building, West Pittston

C&S Railroad at Jim Thorpe Here is some equipment at Jim Thorpe, PA. These shots are from the early 1990s. They seemed to like to get old or off-lease equipment, as they had ex CONRAIL, CSX, and NS units. Carbon and Schuylkill Railroad at Jim Thorpe, PA

Mine Building, Nanticoke (Coal Gas Manufacturing Plant) Off of Arch Street in Nanticoke there is an old brick building that looks like an old mine building. Looks like an outbuilding. A recent newspaper article says this site was a Gas Manufacturing plant. . Mine Building, Nanticoke

Falling Springs A scan of a Kodak Disc Photo of Falling Springs, right across from Coxton Yard. There is a water fall here. The creek leads a dam and pond. The get water from it. . Falling Springs, 1980s

DH Baggage Car At Taylor Here is the old Baggage Car that was at Hudson and then moved to Taylor. Found some more shots of it when digging thru some old photos. Eventually the car was scrapped. MORE

Vulcan 1984 Here are some photos and descriptions of the Vulcan in 1984. This proves that it was in running order when it came to Wilkes-Barre. A L&WV NHRS handed this to me at the October Meeting. MORE

Death on the D&H, a short story of people picking coal on the D&H only to get killed by a train MORE

NEPA.Railfan.Net

Remember the "Billboard Boxcars" ??? For years the
cars, parked on disconnected CNJ trackage next to
Rt 309 in Wilkes-Barre Twp, were painted with ads.

"In Depth"

The following articles, recollections and stories are more in depth and longer then the weblog format pages that the sightings and most other things are done in

Loree Colliery Outbuildings Found some more 35mm scans of the outbuldings of the former Loree Colliery off Nesbitt Street in Larksville, PA. All of the buildings by the road are now gone.

Lackawanna Valley Heritage Trail CNJ Railroad Southside Complex to CNJ trestle by Bridge 60. At one time at the Site of Schimdt Park there was a small roundhouse. It was destroyed during the floods in 1955's Hurricane Dianna and not rebuilt.

Pocono Northeast Railway Shots of the Pocnocno Northeast Railway or PNER over the years. The headquarters was off of Rt. 92 in Exeter Twp.

Harry E Coal Breaker Photographs of the breaker in Swoyersville about two years before it was demolished. It was amazing that they left the thing up as long they did because it went over the "Back Road".

Harry E Coal Breaker II Recently discovered photos showing the old Harry E breaker. This batch shows the part of the breaker that went over the back road with all its girders, pipes and trusses.

Lackawanna County Heritage Trail : O&W Railroad Some scenes from the train in the Upvalley area - Jessup and Archbald it looks like from the map. The trail has marker showing some key features of the railroad. In runs along the river and is very senic.

Scranton Railway Carbarns Pictures from the mid-90's of the old Scranton Railway Carbarns on Providence Road in Scranton. Today, the buildings are gone, with retail development near the site. Shots like this are important, after the buildings are long gone.

Dorrance Fan House Here are shots of the Dorrance Colliery Fan house from the early 1990's before the dirt around it was bulldozed up to the roof line.

Peach Orchard Colliery Pictures of the Peach Orchard buildings that Dave S. sent me. Mostly brick buildings left over from the mining operations, we used to play there in grade school.

The Concrete City Shots of the Concrete City taken in the mid 1990's. More recently a State Historical Marker has been erected down the street from it.

Glen Alden Shops Some shots of the former Glen Alden Coal Company Machine Shops in West Pittston, PA. Much of these buildings have been removed.

Sullivan Trail Breaker Shots of the old Sullivan Trail Breaker with the Drag Line buckets in front of it. Nothing remains of the site. New homes and townhomes are on the site of the Breaker and colliery grounds.

Vulcan Iron Works This set of buildings in South Wilkes-Barre is were the Vulcan locomotives were build in years past.